Electric battery



H. F. FRENCH.

ELECTRIC BATTERY. APPLICATION FILED APR. 26, 1920.

Patented May 239 T922.

HARRY F. FRENCH, or FREMONT, oHIo, AssIGNoR ToNATIoNAL-CARBON COMPANY,

INC., A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC BATTERY.

Laurence.

speeicetion of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, i922.

Application ld April 26, 1920. Serial No. 376,725

To all whom t may concern:

vBe it known that I,HARRY F. FRENCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fremont, in the county of Sandusky and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Batteries, of which the following is a specification.` This invention relates to dry cells of the deferred action type which are rendered active by a suitable mechanical manipulation.

The object of the invention, generally speaking, is to secure a cell' which is simple in construction and adapted to be activated in a simple manner. This Objectis attained by providing within the cell a hermetically closed excitant receptacle and means by the receptacle.

which the excitant in ay be forced from the receptacle-into operati-ve position. The electrodes have a relative position which is not changed on activation, and the container for the excitant is so arranged as not to increase A central hollow preferably utilized` for the volume of the cell. carbon electrode is Referring Vto the particular form chosen for illustration in the drawings:

Fig. l is a central longitudinal section of the cell in the inactive condition. v f

Fig. 2 is a similar section showing the cell after it has been activated.

An ordinary cylindrical zinc can 1 serves as a container and as the negative electrode. An insulating disk 2 is fitted in the'bo-ttom of the can and above this is placed an insulating ring 3 having a projecting bosses 4. Variousmaterials may be utilized for the insulating ring such as molded hard pitch, hard rubber and similar substances. I

A bobbin type cathode is utilized' consisting of a moist deplolarizing mix 5 molded around a central hollow carbon electrode 6 having its ends projectingv from the mix.

The carbon electrode is waterproofed in any suitable manner without insulating the active surface for a purpose to be referred to later. This has been done for'example, by

impregnating the carbon electrode with paraiiin and coating the interior with paraflin 6. The bobbin is of such form ,that it is spaced away from the can at all points. The lower projecting end of. the carbon electrode is fittedi in the ring 3 and the bottom of the mix rests upon the bosses 4 and is therebyv spaced from the ring to provide an intermediate plurality of upwardly' passage 7; A plurality of openings 8 are provided in the lower end of the carbon electrode in a suitable position to connect the passagel 7 with the space between the mix and zinc electrode. The openings 8 are provided with readily removable closures such as paraliin plugs 9 which close theV openings and retain the activating material 10 in the hollow carbon 1s in the inactive condition. At the upper lend the mix bobbin is spaced from the can by mea-ns of an insulating disk ll; Oyer vthis is placed an ordinary pitch seal closure l2 and intermediate to the disk l1 and seal l2 an air chamber 13 is usually provided.

In the form illustrated, the hollow carbon electrode is substantially filled with a supply of activating material, such as paste of suitable consistency comprising iiour and -water and preferably, but not necessarily, containing electrolyte. The quantity of paste is preferably suiicient to practically fill the space between the zinc can and mix when the cell is later activated. I` have found that if an untreated carbon electrode is used as a container for the paste, moisture will escape slowly and the paste will be more or less dried out. By utilizing a carbon electrode treated in the manner described, this. is prevented. At the upper end the hollow` carbon electrode is provided with any suitvable closure. In the drawings I have shown a closure adapted to-'serve as an ejector for applying pressure to the paste. The ejector consists of a cork stopper la movable in the hollow carbon electrode when sufficient pres"- sure i applied thereto and a resilient rubber sealing disk l5 below the cork stopper. The treated carbon electrode and stopper provide the hermetically closed receptacle previously mentioned.

To place the cell in action, the user ejects the paste from the hollowl carbon velectrode by applying pressure to the ejector. The application of pressure will remove theparaflin plugs from the lower end of the carbon electrode, brush them aside, and force the paste outv ofsaid electrode into thespace between the lower end of the mix and the insulating ring and thence up into the space between 'the mix and zinc can.

In the form illustrated, a rubber disk is utilized in combination with the corkl stopper because if the cork stopper is suiiieiently vtight to prevent evaporation, it will be difwhen the cell tweenthe zinc electrode and mix p ermits thev 1' cell to immediately reach its maximum current producing capacity. Another advantage of the construction is that all of the elements are contained in a cell which occupies no more space in the inactive than in the active condition.

Having described my invention, what I claim is i l. In an electric cell of the kind described. the combination of a metallic electrode and a depolarizing mix incapable of relative adjustment and having a space therebetween,

and a receptacle within the cell containing a supply of activating material adapted to be ejected from the receptacle by application of suflicient pressure and forced into the space between the electrode and mix. t

2. In an electric cell of the kind described, the combination of a metallic electrodey and a depolarizing mix incapable of relative adjustment and having a space therebetween, and a hermetically closed receptacle within the cell containing a supply of activating` material adapted to be ejected from the receptacle by application of suflicient pressure and forced into the space between the electrode and mix. 4 I

3. In an electric cell of thekind described, the combination of positive and negative electrodes incapable of'relative adjustment and having a space therebetween, one of said electrodes having a chamber therein adapted to be connected to the space between the elec-v trodes, and a supply of activating material in the chamber adapted to be ejected there from and forced into the space intermediate the electrodes.

4. In an electric cell of the kind described, the combination of a metallic electrode, a depolarizing mixV bobbin spaced therefrom, and a hollow carbon electrode containing a supply of activating material adapted to be ejected therefrom and transferred to the space between the mix and metallic electrode. i

5. In an electric cell of the kind described, the combination of a metallic electrode, a

'dpolarizi'ng mix bobbin `spaced therefrom,

and a hollow carbon electrode containing a supply of activating material adapted to be lejected therefrom and transferred vto/ the space between the mix and metallic electrode'.

the combination of a metallic electrode and la depolarizing mix incapable of relative adsuflicient pressure to the activating material to eject it from the receptacle into the space a between the mix and metallic electrode.

8. In an electric cell of the kind described, the combination yof a metallic container electrode, a depolarizing mix bobbin therein spaced therefrom, a hollow carbon electrode in the mix, the interior of the hollow carbon being connected with the space between the mix and metallic electrode, a supply of activating material in the. hollow carbon adapted to be ejected therefrom by application of sufficient pressure and transferred to the space between the mix and metallic electrode.

9. In an electric cell of the kind described, the combination of a metallic electrode having closures for each end, a depolarizing mix bobbin therein spaced therefrom, a hollow carbon electrode in the mix, a spacer between one end of the mix and the corresponding closure adapted to provide a passageway connecting the interior of the hollow carbon electrode with the space be- A10.v In an electric cell of the kind de- L scribed, the combination of a metallic container electrode, a depolarizing mix bobbin therein spaced therefrom, a hollow carbon electrode in the mix having openings leading to the hollow interior of the carbon. aspacer between the lower end of thel mix and the bottom of the container having passageways adjacent the openings in the hollow carbon connecting with'the space between the mix and metallic electrode and a supply of activating material in the hollow carbon electrode adapted to be ejected therefrom and transferredA to the space between the 'mix and metallic electrode.

1l. In an electric cell of the kind described, the combination of a metallic container electrode, a depolarizing mix bobbin therein spaced therefrom, a hollow carbon electrode in the mix having openings near the lower end. removable closures for said openings, a spacer between the bottom of the mix and thebottom of the container llaving passageways adjacent the openings connecting with the space between the metallic electrode and the mix, a supply ot' conducting paste in said hollow carbon electrode and a plunger in the carbon electrode above the activating material adapted when sutlicient pressure is applied thereto to force -the removable closures from the end of the In testimony whereof, I aix my signature.

HARRY F. FRENCH. 

